Supporting device



March 3, 1953 DIECKHOFF 2,630,286

SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 50, 1949 56 4 56/ 55} INVENTOR. 6 6 58 3'24 HENRY E D/RkHo/T BY '1 I I! I, r 1 1 I 1 1/ II %47I :Q|4#

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE SUPPORTINGDEVICE HenryFred Dieckhofl, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application September 30, 1949, Serial No. 118,962

.11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a supporting device, particularly adapted .forsupporting an upright, such as a pole or tree trunk, as, for instance,:a Christmas tree, by engaging itatits end.

Difierent devices have been utilized'to maintain :a Christmas tree inuprightfposition by engaging it at its trunk end. Many of the-device'sare so constructed as necessarily to be *unbalanced, in use, with thetrunknot centered in the device. .Many 'of these devices'depen'd upon aset screw which engages :into the wood of the tree to hold the "trunk inposition. Many of the devices take the form of a simplereceptacle thebottom of which :rests directly upon "the :fioor;

such devices generally provide little if any :resistance against swaying.of the tree.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for supportinguprights such as Christmas trees, wherein the weight of the tree itselfhas a positive function in securely clamping the treetrunk solidly intothe device.

It is an object of the invention to provide an upright-supportingstructure capable 'ofzretaining tree trunks of varying diameters, and ofadjustably clamping such different trunks by a single devicesubstantially to center them with relation to the device. Y

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the typeindicated wherein the resiliency of the material used in making thedevice has a function in positively centering the tree trunk withrelation to the base of the device and as a result of such centering,more firmly to .secure the trunk with relation to the device itself.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the characterindicated, which is simple in its manufacturing details, which may beassembled without requiring any-particular skill, and which functionsefiectively for the purpose of positively and stably supporting "a treetrunk of substantial weight.

Other objects of the invention will be set forth hereinafter, or will beapparent "from the description and the drawings, in which is illustrated:an embodiment exemplifying theinvention.

The invention, however, is not intended to .be restricted to anyparticular construction, or any particular arrangement of parts, or anyparticular application of any :such construction or arrangement ofparts, or any specific method of operation or use, or any of the variousdetails thereof, even where specifically shown and 'described herein, asthe same may :be modified in various particulars, or may :be applied in:many

2 varied relations, without departing from the spirit and scope of theclaimed invention, of which the exemplifying embodiment, herein shownand described, isiintended only to "be illustrative, andonly for thepurpose of complying 'struction,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view :of a device embodying features ofthe invention. the trunk of the tree being shown in 'dot-and-dash linesas assembledtherewith;

Fig. '2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view, substantially on the line 33of Fig. 2, and to enlarged scale,'il1ustrating details of theconstruction; and

Fig. 4 is a detail 'elevational and sectional view, as seen from theline 4-4 of Fig. 3, parts being broken away to illustrate the assemblyof the threaded .rod and nut.

On Fig.1, the trunk lb of a tree,-sh0wn by dotand-dash lines, isillustrated as assembled witha device .12 designed to embody features ofthe invention. Device .112 :maycomprise a pair oi-sec tions and it whichmay be made from heavy strap metal. These sections are shown asproviding legs or footings M3, 2.0 and 22. While three legs orfootingsare-shown, it .can be understood that seotion 14, shown with butone leg, may have two or more legs, and that sectio [6 may have one ormore than two legs.

Considering section I I alone, it is seen that this section consistssubstantially of a single piece of metal which has been bent to providefooting 18. The metaLat'the end of footing i8, is bent to form acurvednose 24 to rest upon the floor without cutting. From nose 24, thestrap metal extends upwardly to its uppermost, .position or'bendz26,from which it bends downwardly and may take the *form of a wall 28. Wall.28 may 'be flat, or, if desired, :a rounded contouring may beformed-therein.

The strap metal, at the bottomof wall -28, is bent so that, when theassembly is in use, this bottom strap 30 will be substantially parallelto the floor. At the end of strap 30, there'is a terminalzupwardly bentend 32.

. end 3211s provided an-opening 34 through which may be extended athreaded rod 36. This rod has threaded engagement with a nut 38 looselyheld within a cage 40 formed by bending a cross-shaped strap 42 so thatthe arms 44 have footings which may be secured to face 46 of end 32, as,for instance, by tack welding. Strap 42 has a large opening to coincidewith opening 34 and the threaded opening in nut 38. However, nut 38 hasa limited freedom of movement within the cage. Member 36 is provided atone end with wings 48 for its proper manipulation; at its other end, themember has a reduced portion 50 to fit into an opening 52 in wall 54 ofsection I6. Member 35, beyond reduced portion 50, is peined over toretain it in position with relation to wall 54, and yet permit it toturn on its axis.

Strap 30 extends through a slot 56 at the bottom level of wall 54.Preferably, at that position, strap 30 rests upon wings 58 which may beprovided by integrally bending the metal out of Walls 60 and 62 ofsection [6. In the case of section [6, a single piece of metal has beenbent to provide legs or footings 20 and 22, wall 54 and walls 60 and 62.Each of legs or footings 20 and 22 is formed substantially in the samemanner as leg I8; however, in forming walls 60 and 62, wings 58 may beformed integrally therewith.

Between walls 60 and 62, wall 54 is formed for the reception of member36. Wings 58 may beso formed as to abut at their edges 64. The may beleft free of each other at this position; if de sired, they may bewelded together. If section 14 is constructed with two legs or footingsand two walls, strap 30 and its upwardly bent end 32 would be formedfrom the equivalent of wall 54. When a tree trunk I is assembled in thereceptacle 66 formed by the assembly of sections l4 and I6, that is, bypassing strap 30 through slot 56 (nut 38 and its cage 40 may beassembled after strip 30 has been assembled), walls 28, 60 and 62 willbe caused to approach each other by turning wings 48. This adjustmentmay be completed in great part before the tree trunk is set into thereceptacle. In any case, the tightening will effect positive clamping ofwalls 28, 60 and 62 against the tree trunk. This operation also servesto center the trunk with relation to the positions where the devicerests on footings i 8, and 22. As the weight of the tree comes to bearon strap and wings 58, the whole structure, that is, walls 28, 60 and62, together with the strap metal supporting these walls, will movedownwardly. The Weight is now borne on the noses 24 of the respectivefootings. The fulcruming of the entire structure on these noses willcause the bends 26 to tend to move inwardly, biting into the tree trunkmore positively to anchor the device to the tree trunk and to retain itin position.

When it is desired to separate the trunk from the device, it isnecessary only to loosen member 36 by turning wings 48. When sufficientrelease has been effected, the tree trunk is lifted from receptacle 66.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular constructions,and in the methods of use and construction, and in specific detailsthereof, hereinbefore set forth, Without substantially departing fromthe invention intended to be defined herein, the specific descriptionbeing merely of an embodiment capable of illustrating certain principlesof the invention.

' What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A device for supporting an upright such as a pole or tree trunk, th'edevice-comprising a pair of nested sections for forming a receptacle forthe end of the upright, the nested sections having means forinterlocking each of the sections with the other, the interlocking meansproviding means for guiding the sections in sliding engagement with eachother, the portions of the interlocked sections in sliding engagementwith each other providing a bottom for the receptacle, means foradjusting the position of the sections with relation to each other tovarv the size of the bottom to accommodate uprights of varyingcross-section, each of the sections having a resilient footing extendinglaterally away from the interlocked means, the sections beingconstructed so that, when the load of an upright is imposed upon thedevice, the footings will force the sections positively to grip theupright.

2. A device for supporting an upright such as a pole or tree trunk, thedevice comprising a pair of sections, each of the sections havingwall-defining means, the sections having interlocked portions forretaining the sections associated to form a receptacle, one of theinterlocked portions forming a continuous, substantially uninterruptedbottom for the receptacle to receive the end of the upright, thewall-defining means cooperating with the interlocking means to form saidreceptacle to receive the end of the upright, means for adjusting theposition of the sections and the interlocking means with relation toeach other to vary the size of the bottom, each of the sections having afooting, the footings, under the load of an upright imposed upon thedevice, biasing the wall-defining means positively to grip the uprightin the receptacle.

3. A portable device for retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from re silient material, eachmember having the material thereof shaped to provide a wall and anintegrally formed extended foot, means on one member for engagement withmeans on the other member for retaining the members in association witheach other so that said walls define a receptacle, the engagement meansp-roviding'means for guiding the members for movement with relation toeach other and providing a bottom for the receptacle, and adjustingmeans for fixing the positions of the walls with relation to each otherto determine the transverse dimensions of the upright capable of beingreceived by the device.

4. A portable device for retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from sheet metal, each memberbeing shaped to provide a wall-defining section integrally formed with adownwardly extending resilient foot, the wall-defining section of onemember having an opening therethrough, the other member having aprojection therefrom extending through said opening for retaining themembers in association with each other to define a receptacle but formovement with relation to each other, and adjusting means for fixing thepositions of the sections with relation to each other to determine thetransverse dimensions of the upright capable of being received by thedevice, the walldefining sections and the feet being associated so thatthe load on the feet will cause them to force the wall-defining sectionsinwardly to engage the upright located in the receptacle.

5. A portable device for retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from sheet metal, each memberbeing shaped to provide a wall-defining section integrally formed with adownwardly extending resilient foot, the wall-defining section of onemember having a slot formed adjacent the bottom thereof, the othermember having a strap extending therefrom through said slot forretaining the members in association with each other to define areceptacle but for movement With relation to each other, and adjustingmeans for fixing the positions of the sections with relation to eachother to determine the transverse dimensions of the upright capable ofbeing received by the device, the walldefining sections and the feetbeing associated so that the load on the feet will cause them to forcethe wall-defining sections inwardly to engage the upright located in thereceptacle.

6. A portable device fer retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from sheet metal, each memberbeing shaped to provide a wall-defining section integrally formed with adownwardly extending resilient foot, the wall-defining section of onemember having a slot formed adjacent the bottom thereof, thewalldefining section of the other member having a strap integrallyformed with and extending from I the bottom edge thereof through saidslot for retaining the members in association with each other to definea receptacle but for movement with relation to each other, and adjustingmeans for fixing the positions of the sections with relation to eachother to determine the transverse dimensions of the upright capable ofbeing received by the device, the wall-defining sections and the feetbeing associated so that the load on the feet will cause them to forcethe wall-defining sections inwardly to engage the upright located in thereceptacle.

'7. A portable device for retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from sheet metal to define awall-defining section integrally formed with a downwardly extendingresilient foot, the wall-defining section of one memher having a slotformed adjacent the bottom thereof, the wall-defining section of theother member having a strap integrally formed with and extending fromthe bottom edge thereof through said slot for retaining the members inassociation with each other but for movement with relation to eachother, and means extending from the strap to the first-namedwall-defining section for fixing the positions of the sections withrelation to each other to determine the transverse dimensions of theupright capable of being received by the device.

8. A portable device for retaining in substantially upright position anupright such as a pole or the trunk of a tree, the device including apair of members, the members being formed from sheet metal to define awall-defining section integrally formed with a downwardly extendingresilient foot, the wall-defining section of one member having a slotformed adjacent the bottom thereof, the wall-defining section of theother member having a strap integrally formed with and extending fromthe bottom edge thereof through said slot for retaining the members inassociation with each other but for movement with relation to eachother, the free end of the strap being bent out of the plane of the bodyof the strap to provide a wall, means carried by the Wall and extendingto the first-named walldefining section for fixing the positions of thesections with relation to each other to determine the transversedimensions of the upright capable of being received by the device.

9. In combination, a pair of members formed from sheet metal to providecomplementary cup-forming sections, means extending from the sections toprovide resilient footings for the sections, a strap integrally formedwith one section and extending through an opening in the other sectionfor retaining the sections in cup-forming relation and for movementrelatively to each other, and means for limiting the sections to aposition for forming a cup to receive the end of an upright such as apole or trunk of a predetermined dimension.

10. In combination, a pair of members formed from sheet metal to providecomplementary cupforming sections, means extending from the sections toprovide resilient footings for the sections, a strap integrally formedwith one section and extending through a slot in the other section forretaining the sections in cup-forming relation and for movementrelatively to each other, the strap providing means to retain means toextend therefrom and to engage the other section for limiting thesections to a position for forming a cup to receive the end of anupright such as a pole or trunk of a predetermined dimension.

11. In combination, a pair of members formed from sheet metal to providecomplementary cupforming sections, means extending from and integrallyformed with the sections to provide resilient footings for the sections,a strap integrally formed with one section and extending through a slotin the other section for retaining the sections in cup-forming relationand for movement relatively to each other, the strap providing means toretain means to extend therefrom and to engage the other section forlimiting the sections to a position for forming a cup to receive the endof an upright such as a pole or trunk of a predetermined dimension, thefooting providing means to press the sections tightly into engagementwith the upright engaged therebetween.

HENRY FRED DIECKI-IOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 280,851 Pannster July 10, 1883774,497 Rompel Nov. 8, 1904 1,457,820 Cleveland June 5, 1923 2,485,233Cima Oct. 18, 1949

